It’s okay to get side-tracked in these open-world games that teach players the importance of journey over destination.
Society is very result and achievement-focused, and that same thing can be found in a lot of games. You must win to progress to the next level, to get the ending you want, or the rewards you’re after. A lot of the time, that can feel like the most important aspect, so much so that the rest of the game becomes almost irrelevant.
There are, however, some games that fight against this mentality. Either they force you to slow down by punishing attempts at speeding things up, or they masterfully distract players with surprise-filled open-world environments, deep and fun side activities, or simply the appeal of making your own adventure. Here’s which games will make you appreciate the journey over the destination.
Subnautica
As the survivor of a crash landing on an aquatic planet, it might feel easy to hyperfocus on finding a way to escape in Subnautica. However, playing like this doesn’t do justice to the sheer depth (pun intended) this game has as an open-world survival craft.
It’s so easy to get sucked into just crafting these incredible underwater bases and upgrading your suit and your gear that escaping ironically becomes somewhat secondary. The exploration alone is exciting enough to find new (and absolutely terrifying) life forms, and let’s just say anyone with thalassophobia will be having the worst time of their life diving into the darkest depths of Subnautica.
Elden Ring
Elden Ring and its DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, are yet another perfect example of a game that can be completed relatively fast or incredibly slow. Rushing through the mandatory bosses is possible, but that also means players will miss out on a ton of side locations and optional bosses, as well as loot.
This is a game that really encourages you to look around, to see what’s right around the next corner. With no dedicated quest screen, it’s also best to take your time with it if you’d like to experience some of the game’s obscure and twisted lore. It’s easy to miss NPCs and their changing locations when rushing about.
No Man’s Sky
No Man’s Sky delivers a whole, vast galaxy ready for exploration to your doorstep, so it’s pretty easy to get sidetracked in this game. Yes, there’s some story and quest content to explore, for example, in the form of the Artemis Path, but those moments are far from being the highlights of the game.
The focus is on you and what you want to become and do in this world. Build a space base, upgrade your ship, discover new planets, species, biomes, or just become an evil looter and pirate if you so choose.
